Vial Adapter Device for Secure Fluid Withdrawal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional needle gauges used for withdrawing medical fluids from sealed containers often result in needle tip damage and buckling, and expose the syringe tip to non-filtered air, leading to contamination and inefficiency in fluid extraction, especially when dealing with nearly empty containers.
Innovation Solution
A vial adapter device with a stake and prongs that securely locks onto the container, allowing for the use of smaller gauge needles while minimizing needle damage and exposure to non-sterile environments, featuring a lumen for fluid communication and a connecting member for secure attachment to a syringe, which includes an inner tapered surface for interference fit and an air ventilation channel for pressure normalization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If larger gauge needles are used to pierce the sealing member, then needle structural strength is improved, but invasiveness to the patient increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the needle function into two separate components: a large-bore fill needle that pierces the sealing member and transfers fluid to the syringe, and a separate smaller-gauge administration needle that injects the patient. This segmentation allows each needle to be optimized for its specific function - the fill needle for structural strength and the administration needle for minimal patient invasiveness.
2Strength
If separate needles are used for filling and administering, then needle structural strength is improved, but biological waste increases and infection risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the fill needle and administration needle into a single integrated needle assembly. The fill needle is designed to be long enough to extend through the patient's tissue, allowing it to both pierce the sealing member and administer the fluid through the same needle, thereby eliminating the need for a second needle and reducing biological waste.
3Productivity
If the needle is used to withdraw fluid from a nearly empty container, then fluid extraction efficiency is improved, but needle tip damage and buckling increase
Solution Approach 1:
The vial adapter acts as an intermediary device between the needle and the vial. It provides structural support and stabilization during the fluid withdrawal process, particularly when extracting from nearly empty containers. The adapter's design with prongs and a body structure prevents needle buckling by distributing the mechanical stress, allowing efficient extraction without compromising needle integrity.
4Ease of operation
If the needle is exposed to non-filtered air during fluid withdrawal, then fluid extraction is simplified, but contamination risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vial adapter serves as an intermediary barrier between the sterile needle/syringe system and the non-sterile vial environment. It includes features such as a distal wall that seals against the vial and internal channels that control air and fluid flow, preventing direct exposure of the needle tip to non-filtered air while maintaining ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A vial adapter configured to allow direct fluid withdrawal with a syringe from a fluid container having a self-healing sealing member is described. The syringe is connected to the vial adapter by a vial adapter connecting member and a corresponding syringe connecting member. In use, the fluid container is pressed against the vial adapter, and the vial adapter removably locks the fluid container to the vial adapter. When removably locked, a stake of the vial adapter pierces the sealing member.